[dropcap]B[/dropcap]enin City, Nigeria – As the rains become heavier by the day, most people now sleep with their eyes wide open for the fear of the unknown.
This is exactly the case in Etsako Central Local government area of Edo state where Over 1000 houses have been submerged by flood affecting Seven communities .
The flood which is an upsurge from the river Niger in the area destroyed properties and houses in Udaba, Ofukpo, Agbaburu, Osomegbe, ukpeko, Ugochi and Anegbette Communities and washed away all their belongings including farms.
The affected communities are pointing fingers at government saying that they have been neglected since the first disaster in 2012 and wondered why the government would not provide access roads which will make it easy for them to access upland communities in the locality in case of such emergency.
While commenting on the disaster, the village head of Udaba, chief David Inetape said over the years government has not been favourable to them and wondered why they should be left unanswered in time like this. He noted that they cannot relocate out of the place as a result of lack of road as the earth roads in the communities are flooded adding that they now use ferry boats and canoes to access their houses.
The situation however seems to have become a norm for the communities as children were seen in the flood swimming while the farmers have embarked on premature harvest of their rice, cassava, groundnuts and yams to avoid total loss.
One of the farmers, Mr. Nigeria Afomede said, “if we don’t harvest our crops now as you can see they will spoil and we will suffer so we have decided to harvest our 6 months old cassava, you know we don’t have any farm that is up to a year now because that of last year also destroyed our farms”
Speaking on why they refused to relocate to the federal government resettlement camp built by the flood committee in the last administration, the residents said they have no access road to Oghomere as there was no sign before the sudden rise in water level.
It was however gathered that in anticipation of the floods, Etsako Central Local Government Authority has cleaned up the federal government resettlement camp in Oghomere with the aim of relocating the flood victims in the Area.
The Vice chairman of the local government, Mr Ambrose Kelvin Akhigbe said the council was doing all it can to relocate the victims after the proper cleaning of the building and fumigation is completed.
According to him, “from Wednesday we are going to the affected communities with speed boats to evacuate them if anyone resist leaving the areas we are going to persuade them to leave so that whatever the government and individual will be bringing they will benefit from it in the camp.
“As you can see, the borehole is set and the rooms are being cleaned up to ensure that it is conducive. We shall also bring a very big generating set to ensure regular supply in the camp so that the displaced persons can feel at home.”
